Following

The next morning, Yan Niangzi lay in Li Yuan's arms, clinging to him.

It had been a long time since the two of them had enjoyed a morning sleeping together like this.

Seeing that dawn had only just broken, they began whispering pillow talk.

Li Yuan asked, "Sister Yan, have you heard of the Blood Saber Sect, the Wei Family, and the Sun Family?"

Yan Niangzi wrapped her arms around her man's waist and pressed herself closer. "The Wei and Sun Families seem to be wealthy, influential clans in the county. As for the Blood Saber Sect... I've heard of them too. They seem to hold quite a bit of status in the county."

Li Yuan asked again, "Last month, when I wasn't in Little Ink Village during the day, did tax collectors come to collect taxes?"

"They did. There was even a household in the village that couldn't pay their taxes, so their little girl was taken away. That family cried and screamed, but the tax collectors ignored them completely."

As she spoke, Yan Niangzi sighed. Everyone had compassion in their hearts; she merely felt sorrow for those like herself.

With her words and some of his own memories, Li Yuan immediately understood.

Ordinary people simply did not understand the workings behind it all, nor did they know how power was structured.

And those tax collectors from last month—how could they still have been tax collectors from the government?

They were clearly tax collectors belonging to those two families and one sect, merely wearing official uniforms, just like Cai Ze.

He was obviously a disciple of the Blood Saber Sect, yet he was still a yamen runner.

A heaviness settled in Li Yuan's heart.

Cai Ze's words echoed over and over in his mind, rumbling like thunder.

—Mark my words: even if the Red Lotus Bandits breach Shanbao County, they still won't touch Silver Stream Village.—

—This imperial dynasty is nothing more than the largest jianghu power. But "largest" only referred to the time when it was first founded.—

—Once the Red Lotus Bandits enter the county, they'll burn, kill, and loot. What won't they do?—

Li Yuan felt an increasingly suffocating sense of urgency.

Vaguely, he felt that greater chaos—the true collapse of order—had not yet begun.

The history of the world he had lived in before transmigrating had only been low martial during the age of cold weapons, yet it had still seen dark and chaotic eras such as the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

In this world, the imperial court could tolerate jianghu factions existing as states within the state, while such terrifying things hid deep within the mountains and forests. If chaos truly erupted, what would it look like?

Li Yuan hardly dared to imagine it.

He quietly clenched his fists.

There was not much time left. He had to gather enough silver and move to Silver Stream Village as soon as possible.

But he could not fully trust Cai Ze either. He could look for a chance to verify it when he went to HengWu Tavern.

HengWu Tavern was also located in Silver Creek. When he had glanced at it from afar last time, it had still been operating normally, and business had been good. They should need meat as well.

With that thought, he prepared to get up.

The moment he moved, Yan Niangzi withdrew the long leg she had draped over him and asked, "Yuan Ge'er, heading out?"

"Mm."

As he spoke, Li Yuan gently lifted the blanket before tucking it back down, then began pulling on his trousers and clothes.

Under the blanket, Yan Niangzi looked at her man with her watery almond eyes. She directly threw off the covers, exposing her snowy white body, and said, "Then I'll get up too."

After saying that, she blinked and smiled. "Those clothes of yours that smelled of rouge yesterday—I washed them. You don't mind, do you?"

Li Yuan said helplessly, "You're still bringing that up?"

Yan Niangzi rolled her eyes in a rather charming manner. "Aren't all women like this?"

"I suppose."

As they chatted idly, Li Yuan finished dressing, and Yan Niangzi fastened the buttons on his clothes for him.

Li Yuan went outside to wash up, while Yan Niangzi hurriedly lit the fire and warmed up foxtail millet porridge and salted meat for breakfast.

There was salt and meat at home, so Yan Niangzi had naturally cured quite a bit of salted meat.

A short while later, after the two had eaten, Li Yuan grabbed his bow and headed out. Yan Niangzi gathered up the clothes and trousers her man had changed out of, tossed them into a wooden basin, then carried her washing mallet to call Aunt Wang to wash clothes together.

Li Yuan had only gone a short distance from his doorway when he saw a tall, thin figure wandering about.

It was Tian Bao.

The moment Tian Bao saw Li Yuan, he hurried over and respectfully said, "Brother Yuan, good morning."

"What is it?"

"Brother Yuan... I... I want to follow you." Tian Bao lowered his head.

His elder brother had been seized for military service and sent to war. He was most likely dead. Only Tian Bao and his father remained at home.

His father was barely hanging on as well.

Watching the fates of his relatives, Tian Bao seemed to see his own future. But he was unwilling to accept it. If he died, he died. Since death was inevitable either way, he might as well risk his life in these troubled times. At least then, he would have fewer regrets when he died.

But how was he supposed to fight for it?

"Brother Yuan, I'm sincere," Tian Bao said again. "I understand the rules of the jianghu. Once I follow a big brother, my life belongs to him. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. If anyone tries to hurt you, I'll fight them to the death."

Li Yuan patted his shoulder. "A'Bao, I'm not some gang boss. How are you supposed to follow me?"

Tian Bao suddenly took several deep breaths and quietly said, "Brother Yuan, I went out in the dark and killed that Old Man Ma Liu.

"I knew you were still in the county at the time. No matter what, Ma Liu's death couldn't be traced back to you."

Li Yuan: ...

"Big Brother!"

Tian Bao's legs went weak, and he dropped straight to his knees.

Li Yuan looked at him.

Originally, Li Yuan had planned to kill Ma Liu himself.

But if he did it, then no matter how carefully he hid it, it would still be pinned on him.

Being lawless was one thing. Flaunting it openly was another.

Tian Bao had directly solved this problem for him. The boy was perceptive, and he had a ruthless streak too.

In this world, someone like that could at least be put to work.

"Your first time killing someone?"

"Yes."

"How did it feel?"

"Exciting... I was so excited I couldn't sleep all night." Tian Bao's eyes were red, with bloodshot veins filling them.

Li Yuan said, "I'll teach you archery. How much you can learn will depend on your own ability. Once you master this skill, you won't have to worry about making a living."

"Archery? Brother Yuan, I... I don't have a bow, and I don't have a Hunter Permit." Tian Bao said awkwardly.

"Come with me."

A short while later, Li Yuan arrived at the home of the thug called A Fei.

That household had a Hunter Permit. If he remembered correctly, Qian San had swindled Uncle Caihua to death, then stolen the Hunter Permit from his home and given it to A Fei.

Afterward, A Fei had committed no shortage of evil deeds while following the Qian Family.

Now, A Fei had been seized for military service, but his weapons and Hunter Permit should still be here.

Li Yuan stepped forward and knocked on the door.

No one responded.

Just as he was about to knock again, Tian Bao respectfully said, "Brother Yuan, let me do it. Knocking will dirty your hands."

Li Yuan: ???

He stepped back slightly.

Tian Bao charged forward, then slammed his foot into the door with a BANG.

The door, which had only been secured with a wooden latch, was kicked open at once.

Tian Bao reached behind his waist with his right hand, pulled out a Firewood Chopping Knife, and charged inside, roaring fiercely, "Fuck your mother! Didn't you hear my brother knocking?"

Li Yuan: ...

Inside the house, a woman was trembling in fear.

A short while later... the woman held out the Hunter Permit, Earthen Bow, and arrows with both hands, handing them directly to Tian Bao.

Li Yuan tossed over two Big Coins and said, "Bought them from your family."

The woman had not expected to receive money at all. She repeatedly said, "Thank you, Brother Yuan! Thank you, Brother Yuan!"

Yesterday's events had already spread everywhere. Who did not know that Li Yuan had connections in the government? Ma Liu was dead, and someone had reported it to the authorities last night, yet not a single yamen runner had come to investigate. What did that mean? Even an idiot would understand.

Who would still dare offend Li Yuan?

Tian Bao tucked the Hunter Permit into his clothes, then joyfully stroked the Earthen Bow.

Li Yuan glanced at him.

This youth had not originally been a thug, nor had he been this fierce. But his blood was up. He wanted to gamble with his life for a better existence in these troubled times, and so his temperament had changed completely.

There had to be many people like Tian Bao.

"A'Bao."

"Brother, tell me."

"If you learn the bow from me, remember the word 'low-profile.' Whether while learning or afterward, you may not abuse my name. If you act like you just did again, then don't learn archery from me anymore. Understand?"

"Brother, I... I was wrong just now." Tian Bao realized something and became somewhat flustered.

Li Yuan patted his shoulder. "Come on. Go hunting with me."

Troubled times were approaching. He needed to make money quickly. One more person meant another pair of hands, and he would not need to handle everything personally.

Tian Bao seemed all right. At the very least, he could be observed for now.

Whether he would work out or not could be decided later.

Besides, after Li Yuan moved to Silver Creek, he could still leave a pair of eyes behind in Little Ink Village.

As for whether Tian Bao could be kept under control... that seemed highly unlikely, or at least not very likely.

Tian Bao was merely an ordinary person who did not possess the strength of a Ranked Martial Warrior. Li Yuan had Spare Points and was now a ninth-rank martial warrior himself. If he could not even keep a Not Ranked person under control, he might as well bash his head against a block of tofu and die.